The Cooper River project was the highlight of my career. It will be tough to see the plant reduced to dust before I even retire. But c'est la vie. The fiber produced in the facility while it ran probably saved a few lives so it was not in vain. I feel bad for the 113 people whose jobs are up in the air due to the closing.

I suppose there's a legitimate financial rationale for the changes - but sometimes you have to wonder. Karl: please do not grow up - that would be a big disappointment to me; Tom: I will always recall your nighttime navigation while crewing for Hugh IV in the ES 100, getting from one terrifying, thunderstorming locale to the next, via unmarked dirt roads. As far as big picture stuff: we've just found a nearby solar system with a bunch of smallish planets that just might . . . well, you know.